Jacket color, light or dark? Share your practical thoughts on colors

[tasop7]

So, my wife and I have been wearing black leather jackets that aren't meant for motorcycle riding, and we've finally decided to get some real gear. I'm looking to pick up this jacket for my wife...

Fieldsheer Womens Corsair Jacket - RevZilla Motorsports

We're trying to decide between black or tan, and looking for some input on light colored vs dark colored jackets. We both love black. I'm sure it will look much better on the blue 07 FZ6 we have. She's also a redhead and the black will look much better on her. But I also need to buy a jacket myself, so still would like input.

Here are some of the things we've thought about and would like insight on...

-Yes I know lighter colors are more visible (especially with reflective areas), but does it REALLY make that big of a difference? FYI, we may also wear reflective vests. Are bright colors more for night or day visibility (probably both)? For night, does a light colored jacket really make you much more visible given the bike has its lights and several reflectors? Every bit of visibility exposure helps, I understand that. Can you share your real world experiences though?

-Will a black jacket really be that much hotter in the sun than a tan jacket?

-How about bug guts showing up? I've found it's really easy to see them all over our black leathers we have now.

Any other thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks! :thumbup:

Black:

Tan:

 

[Kazza]

It's all personal preference.

My leather jacket - blue and white, perforated - lets air in.
My winter jacket - blue and black
My summer jacket - blue and grey perforated.

Hubby has an assortment of jackets - leather, cortech etc - red/white/black, red/black and black.

They all show bugs (wipe clean after your ride). They can all get hot.

High vis clothing - visible day or not. Most jackets also have reflector strips on them or something that reflects headlights.

Personally, I would never wear an all black jacket - visibility. I want to make sure I'm seen, IMO.

As I said - it's all personal preference.

Just make sure it fits well and has armour - could really save you one day :thumbup:

 

[ozzieboy]

How much rainfall do you get and how easy are they to wash?

My Ixon jacket has white stripes...well 'had' really. No machine washing, no detergents, a good winter of rain and the oil that sprays up off the road turned the white browny grey and it's there to stay I reckon. You can always get some reflective piping to attach.

 

[Wh0M3]

I know it is expensive to have different equipment for different types of weather, but it's nice to have.

I have a jacket for summer, winter, and a rain set. I do the same for gloves, one summer and one winter.

Some jackets have reflective piping on it to help with visiblity at night. Reflective Vests would take care of any worry about the jacket being visible enough.

 

[tasop7]

Thanks for the responses... can anyone else share?

 

[RJ2112]

Thanks for the responses... can anyone else share?

Whatever you buy, it's likely to outlast the bike you are on now...... make sure it's not brand specific stuff! Yammie gear looks funny on a Kawazuki....

If you have vests you wear over the jackets, I think black shows the grunge the least. Even if you don't wear the vests, the grunge still shows the least on black.

+1 on armor.... CE rated, at the elbow, shoulder, and spine are all a big, big plus.

If you are looking for bike specific jackets, can I assume you have not made the leap to riding pants yet? That's another one I would make some effort to 'get into'. Perforated gear for summer.... wearing the layers to prevent road rash is hot.

 

[cap'n]

Lighter stuff does show road dirt much quicker, and washing it without compromising the water resistance / proofing is tough. My last textile was light grey and black (the contrast is GOOD, easy to spot you moving that way), but the grey got gross after a year. I washed it by hand in a sink with NikWax three times over the ensuing 5 years, but it never ever got its water repellence back. Eventually every drop soaked right in, instantly. And it still had gross stains up around the collar. So this time I got something a little darker, blue and medium grey, again liking the contrasting patterns on it.

 

[sxty8goats]

I tend to ride with as bright a jacket as I can without using 'safety yellow/orange'. My white jacket gets dirty quickly and is pretty much imposible to clean.

My summer jacket is a JoeRocket Phoenix. Mesh jacket, silver/white/black. I've got @ 3 seasons on it and I've washed it 3 or 4 times in the machine. Just got to pull out all the armor first. It has seen better days but still looks good. Never did repel water so that isn't an issue. When riding above 20MPH, I may as well not be wearing it as far as air flow goes. It is great in the hot weather. I did have a black version of that jacket and it was hell in traffic on mid summer days. Heated up quicly.

Red heads look hot in tan or black. You really can't lose there

 

[Sparky10]

Personally, when I see a biker, I notice the bike LONG before I can tell what color the rider is wearing. But that's just me. I have a black leather perorated Dianese jacket for really warm weather (above 75) and a black and gun metal gray Joe Rocket Ballistic textile jacket that I wear otherwise.

One note, I had the white version of my Dianese jacket (laguna seca) for all of two day. Every time I took it down out of the closet to look at it, I would notice another smudge on it that I hadn't seen you. And it only rode home in the cage. Was never on the bike in it. I took it back and exchanged it for the black.

 

[nimzotech]

IMO a tan or light coloured gear might make you look like a power ranger.

Just saying...

 

[nimzotech]

I'd stick with black. They all get hot, catch bugs, cagers will still not always see you (regardless how bright your gear or how loud your pipes are).

 

[Spideyrex]

I'm all about the high viz, Power Ranger look. I don't care if I look like a dork, as long as I'm SEEN.

 

[RJ2112]

I'd stick with black. They all get hot, catch bugs, cagers will still not always see you (regardless how bright your gear or how loud your pipes are).

A friend (killed while riding his motorcycle, BTW) who was a firefighter, asked the question..... "If drivers can fail to see a bright red fire truck, with sirens, and flashing lights....... what do you think the chances are of you being seen on a bike?" Dale Vincent Schwitella. RIP

He was wearing a high vis roadcrafter suit, riding a Valkyrie with the lights on, and had someone do a left turn on him on the approaches to the Macinac Bridge a few years ago. 45 MPH into the side of the van that tried to do a U turn in his space. Died on the scene.

"cagers will still not always see you"....... I'd re-phrase that. Cagers will always NOT see you. Ride like you are invisible. You are.

 

[jody.adams]

IMO a tan or light coloured gear might make you look like a power ranger.

Just saying...

And what's wrong with Power Rangers!!!

 

[jtarkany]

With regard to color, I agree with nimzotech, I believe you are invisible irregardless of what you wear. That being said choose the color you prefer and forget the visibilty aspect.

 

[TampaFZ6]

I think of the colors that blend with the background and the sky and try and go in the opposite direction. I got a black mesh but wear a yellow vest over it with a orange and white helmet. Some accidents are not because the driver did not see a motorcycle but just did not see anything or they miscalculated the speed of the bike and tried to beat you.

Now I need some good riding pants.

Stay safe!!

 

[Shinn]

A friend (killed while riding his motorcycle, BTW) who was a firefighter, asked the question..... "If drivers can fail to see a bright red fire truck, with sirens, and flashing lights....... what do you think the chances are of you being seen on a bike?" Dale Vincent Schwitella. RIP

He was wearing a high vis roadcrafter suit, riding a Valkyrie with the lights on, and had someone do a left turn on him on the approaches to the Macinac Bridge a few years ago. 45 MPH into the side of the van that tried to do a U turn in his space. Died on the scene.

"cagers will still not always see you"....... I'd re-phrase that. Cagers will always NOT see you. Ride like you are invisible. You are.

This is so true. No matter what you wear, you are invisible. I rode a bright yellow SV650S with a complete yellow racing suit, yellow helmet and had so many near chances it wasn't funny. People won;t see you. They don't look in their mirrors, or they will see you and not even care. It doesn't matter if you are high vis or all black. I play the game that you are invisible and everyone wants your spot. Always try to be one step ahead of cagers.

 

[NineseveN]

I'd stick with black. They all get hot, catch bugs, cagers will still not always see you (regardless how bright your gear or how loud your pipes are).

Agreed. The whole "bright colors" strategy is just based on common sense reasoning, meaning it's not really empirical, it's mostly just opinion based on what is obvious to the individual who's giving it. There are a lot of things that are common-sense-based that really don't work the way common sense tells us they should.

Of course someone is going to say they never saw you when they cream you on your bike, what else are they going to say?

"Well, I saw him officer, but I just didn't give a crap."

Drivers that hit other cars or trucks say the same thing;

"I never saw him"

...sounds better than "I was too busy texting" or "my mascara got in the way" or I cut him off, I didn't realize that I wouldn't make the turn before my car killed him".

Almost every vehicular accident that doesn't involve alcohol occurs because one driver doesn't see another or fails to judge distance or speed correctly and does something they shouldn't. Whether you're in a car or on a bike, being bright is highly unlikely to prevent that. Even if they do see you and they cut you off or they're going faster than they think (or you are) and pummel you, they are invariably going to claim that they just didn't see you even if they did.

Granted, I am sure that bright colors give you some extra chance at being seen in certain circumstances because it makes you more conspicuous, but the amount of chance is very much up for debate and to my understanding, has never really been settled beyond mere opinion. Buy whatever color you want and ride like you know that every car is looking to kill you.

White is hard to keep clean. Black goes with everything (and you can always color-match your helmet and vest to the bike). Check out running/cycling vests instead of the blaze/green/orange/yellow biker vests. You can get a visible, reflective vest that matches (more or less) the color of your bike.

 

[nextfriday]

:thumbup:

This is so true. No matter what you wear, you are invisible. I rode a bright yellow SV650S with a complete yellow racing suit, yellow helmet and had so many near chances it wasn't funny. People won;t see you. They don't look in their mirrors, or they will see you and not even care. It doesn't matter if you are high vis or all black. I play the game that you are invisible and everyone wants your spot. Always try to be one step ahead of cagers.

what he said:thumbup:

 

[abraxas]

Excellent question.

I went for a black textile jacket, should have got leather, BUT, i wear high vis vest everywhere i go.

It doesn't matter that cagers won't see you. Wear one anyway. It won't help everyone, but maybe one day, that high vis yellow catches someone's eye, and saves your life. I lane split a lot, and itsimportant to note that it's not the bike people see, but my body, making that part yellow does make me more visible to tuned out cagers. But wearing high vis doesn't mean you can relax.

The other up side to high vis vest is IT catches the dirt. A lot easier to wash than a jacket.

The only downside to black is temerature, especially helmets. Had a black helmet, but it got really hot somedays, swopped to silver and the difference is noticable.